If companies are going to jump on the self-service bandwagon, says Mr Kolsky, they had better be prepared to do it right.

ECONOMIST: REPORTS

Hit the jump for a video of the service in action or click the neighboring source link to give Moonbase a go.

ENGADGET: Moonbase offers up a visual editor for creating HTML5 animations, memes

The software giant thought it could get an early jump on interactive TV with its WebTV service.

FORBES: My Friend, My Enemy

Gordon Ramsay was one of the first celebrity chefs to jump on the LA trend, having overseen room service at the London West Hollywood since its opening in 2008.

BBC: A-list room service in Hollywood

As for its auto-translation e-mail service, Google says this will be a jump forward for an increasingly globalized workforce.

CNN: Bonjour Google! Gmail adds auto-translation

But OnStar's virtual diagnostic service provides immediate data that can give engineers a jump on potential quality issues before customers even notice a problem.

FORBES: Big Mechanic Is Watching

By comparison, other telecommunications service providers have had stronger stock performance: SprintPCS has seen shares jump about 40% for the year, and Verizon Communications is up more than 15%.

FORBES: Nextel Presses 'Push-To-Grow' Button

As it stands, the seven day free trial is just enough to get a taste of the service, but probably not enough to convince those enjoying the fruits of its free competitors to jump ship.

ENGADGET: doubleTwist takes on Pandora with Magic Radio subscription service

It might seem like a service like Netflix could become so compelling and competitive that it would motivate millions to cut the cord and jump into the twenty-first century.

ENGADGET: Editorial: What's wrong with TV, and what it might take to change it